Adrián Mendiola
Adrián Mendiola (born August 22, 3473) is a Dranish politician. Since 3517, he has served as Minister of Finance and Chief Cabinet Secretary in the Goodwin Administration, and has been Chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party since 3519. Previously, he served as Vice Chairperson of the DPP between 3515 and 3519. He has been a Member of Parliament since 3500. Early life Mendiola was born in 3473 to a middle-class family in Gogledd Pwynt. However, at the age of thirteen, he moved to the much larger city of Y Cymoedd, where he attended a prestigious private school on a scholarship. He matriculated in 3491, and, due to his strong performance in his final exams, entered Dranian National University to study law and economics. Mendiola was initially uninterested in politics, but began participating in student politics shortly after he entered DNU. He was known as a compromise-building negotiator, leading to his election as President of the Students' Representative Council in 3495, his final year studying his bachelor's degree. He graduated near the top of his class that year, and then sought a master's degree in international relations, which he obtained in 3497. After completing his tertiary education, Mendiola was employed briefly by the Foreign Ministry, and spent three years serving at various international postings, where he advised senior diplomatic officials about issues related to international trade and law. Member of Parliament Having worked for the Foreign Ministry for several years, Mendiola decided to stand for election to Parliament. The re-established Encrucijada Democrática branch in a Y Cymoedd constituency was seeking a young candidate to challenge the incumbent, one of the longest-serving parliamentarians in the country who had represented various left-wing parties during his thirty-nine-year career. Mendiola, then twenty-seven, won the nomination and, a few months later, the general election. Mendiola's political rise within the ED was stymied by his moderate, even left-wing, tendencies, which grew stronger over time. The party's left-wing faction was small, and was unable to secure promotion for its members. However, Mendiola was respected for his opinions on foreign policy, a field where he was considered an expert. As a result, he began to be more vocal with his opinions, and, despite his move towards the centre, started using stronger rhetoric. The election of 3510 was a high point for the ED; however, the election of a substantial new cohort of right-wing MPs saw the further marginalisation of Mendiola's centre-left faction. Disgruntled, he jumped at the opportunity to join the newly-founded DPP in 3512. Political ascent After joining the DPP, Mendiola quickly became its foremost foreign policy spokesperson, and was known for his strong criticisms of the government's neutrality policy. In 3514, the DPP suffered a major electoral setback and was left with just a handful of seats in Parliament. Given Mendiola's authority on foreign policy and his re-election as an MP, he was seen as a potential leadership contender, and was elected Vice Chairperson of the DPP in early 3514. While Chairperson Yuko Asukai shied away from controntational against his opponents, offering only mildly expressed criticisms, Mendiola was know for his greater willingness to go on the offensive, resulting in a number of impassioned exchanges between him and other political figures, mainly against RFR politician John Holbrooke. Finance Minister and DPP Chair In 3517, upon the election of Sarah Goodwin as President, Mendiola was offered a promotion to Cabinet. He had anticipated being offered a position as either Foreign Minister or Defence Minister, the areas he specialised in, but was instead given the portfolio of Finance. He also became Chief Cabinet Secretary, making him one of Dranland's most powerful politicians. In 3519, after Asukai resigned as Chairperson to focus on his duties as High Commissioner of the Dranish Autonomous Zone, Mendiola became acting Chairperson before being confirmed as permanent Chairperson several months later. As Chairperson, Mendiola was known for taking an increasingly confrontation tone in his rhetoric against the right wing, something which was criticised by party co-founder and Vice Chairperson Hiroji Fukuda. Fukuda's criticisms of Mendiola quickly led to infighting within the DPP. In 3523, Fukuda resigned as Vice Chairperson to challenge Mendiola for the Chairpersonship of the party. Fukuda lost, and refused to recontest the Vice Chairpersonship; shortly after, he accepted an offer to become the Speaker of Parliament. After the DPP's poor electoral performance in 3523, and an embarassing failure to correctly file paperwork for a Presidential run, Mendiola resigned as Chairperson of the DPP. He also left Parliament and retired from politics. Category:Dranian people Category:Politicians of Dranland